Gauthier Hot Streak Fuels Ducks Past Oilers

Cutter Gauthier scored his ninth goal in four games, and the Anaheim Ducks hung on for a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Thursday. Gauthier opened the scoring on the power play and later set up Beckett Sennecke's insurance marker as Anaheim improved to 8-7-1 with a third straight win.

Edmonton fell to 11-3-3 and saw a five-game point streak end. Connor McDavid piled up a goal and three assists to extend his season-opening point streak to 17 games, but the Oilers could not complete a late rally after trailing 5-2.

Gauthier Keeps the Hot Streak Alive

Gauthier put Anaheim ahead 1-0 at 9:26 of the first, taking a Jackson LaCombe feed across the slot and beating Matt Tomkins short side. It was his seventh power-play goal in that four-game span, after he became the first Duck to score two man-advantage goals in each of his previous three games.

Evan Bouchard tied it late in the first on a McDavid setup. McDavid then made it 2-1 shorthanded early in the second by batting his own rebound out of midair. Pavel Mintyukov answered with two goals in a 2:38 span to flip the lead, and Sennecke made it 4-2 late in the second off a Tristan Luneau feed.

5-2 Lead, Then Hold On

Sennecke completed a tic-tac-toe with Gauthier and Leo Carlsson for a power-play goal at 1:42 of the third, making it 5-2. Kasperi Kapanen got Edmonton back within two on the power play with 3:36 left, and Leon Draisaitl cut it to 5-4 with 45 seconds remaining on a McDavid cross-crease feed with Tomkins pulled.

The Oilers possessed the puck off the ensuing faceoff but could not force overtime. Laurent Brossoit made 23 saves for Anaheim. Tomkins, starting as a fourth-stringer with Tristan Jarry out ill and other goalies injured, stopped 16.

Historic Company for Gauthier

Nine goals in four games makes Gauthier the first Duck to do it. His seven power-play goals in that span put him in rare NHL company with names like Dave Andreychuk and Teemu Selanne for the densest man-advantage heater since the 1930s. Anaheim has now scored at least five goals in six straight games for the first time in franchise history.

Coach Joel Quenneville said the Ducks keep leaving teams in games late, but a win is a win. Sennecke finished with two goals and an assist.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Gauthier's power-play points. Seven PPG in four games is the heater driving Anaheim's surge, and that unit is the first place to look next tip.

A 5-2 lead nearly slipped away in Edmonton, but Gauthier's heater and Sennecke's finish were just enough. The Ducks are suddenly a problem on the road.